Program Officer - Environment and Natural Resources- Water Resources Management
Feb 4, 2014
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Relief Web
Act Change Transform (Act!) is a local Non-Governmental Organization whose mission is to facilitate the empowerment of marginalized people and communities, in Kenya and neighboring countries, to become active participants in their development by enabling them to: stand up for their rights; demand good governance in the management of resources; and participate in decision making processes. Act! does this through implementing partners, offering them capacity development, management of grants so that value for money is achieved and providing strategic leadership in national advocacy for the benefit of women, youth, people with disabilities and other marginalized communities.
1.0 Job Summary Reporting to the Programme Manager, the Program Officer (NRM-Water Resource Management) will be based in Nairobi and will be responsible for providing technical support on water as a natural resources as well as NRM advocacy programming. The post holder is primarily responsible for providing leadership on mainstreaming water management issues within the Environment and Natural Resources Management platform ensuring responsiveness to the context and all its initiatives are based on sound external analysis.
2.0 Key Responsibilities: 2.1 Program Management • Provide technical leadership on ENRM water concerns for all of Act!’s programs • Develop initiatives within the program and project designs to respond to water concerns • Provide advisory support to all Act! partners on Environment and Natural Resources Management within the context of water resource management • Ensure that all ENRM initiatives on water resource management and reporting take into account the environmental concerns and linkage with livelihoods • On a weekly and monthly basis, track, assess and analyze the environmental context of Kenyan and regional water resource management. • Provide technical support to NRM(water resource management) networks through the sharing of best practices and policy advocacy • Continuously review the mainstreaming of Natural Resources (WRM) considerations in program activities. • Lead the development and sharing of success stories by implementing partners on WRM • Actively inform the ENRM platform and specifically the CRM Facility on ENRM innovations and engagement on local and international debate particularly on renewable energy and local adaptations • Coordinating and providing ground support and linkages between CRM partners, government ministries, CSOs and the private sector and any relevant partners • Assist in the design of suitable IEC materials to educate and sensitize partners on the effects of environmental changes on water resources through advocacy activities • Participate in the selection of appropriate partners for Act!’s ENRM interventions • Support partners in the development of effective ENRM projects and programs • Contribute towards program design, planning, implementation and evaluation
2.2 Financial management • Track all Natural resources initiatives within the broader ENRM programming to ensure that Act! is as responsive as possible to water resources concerns • Be responsible for the support of all partners working on Water resources • Contribute to the budgeting process for all proposals submitted within the ENRM platform on water resources interventions • Work closely with the Grants team in providing up to date reports on partners performance
2.3 Capacity development • Work closely with the Capacity Development Manager in delivering programs that are responsive to Act!’s Capacity Development approach • Adequately analyze the Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) data and submit draft report (analysis) and raw data to the organizational capacity development team Prepare and conduct training and mentoring in areas of advocacy, resource mobilization and building coalitions and networks • Identify, design and deliver appropriate ENRM-WRM related capacity building interventions, to target partners and grantees 2.4 Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning • Ensure that all WRM concerns are adequately tracked through the project cycle and interventions are as responsive as possible • Carry the responsibility and be part of the team concerned with donor reporting on WRM concerns across programs • Support program reporting, peer learning on key cross-cutting issues within programs, and keep abreast of changing sector knowledge and best practice • Participate actively in contributing to documentation of “success stories” and other anecdotal information to enhance the overall quality of performance reports to the donors • Contribute towards the design and operationalization of platform level MERL plans • Track partners’ progress through the M and E on line system, document and advice as required 2.5 Representation and networking • Establish and maintain regular contact with beneficiary groups and partner organizations and liaise and co-ordinate with the appropriate government and non-governmental bodies whenever necessary to ensure successful project implementation.Represent the program and Act! at meetings, forums and processes to stay up to date with unfolding events or on advocacy and WRM issues and ensure that Act! is best placed to advise donors and other stakeholders • Maintain an electronic and physical data base of all strategic actors relevant to Act’s work in conjunction with the data base administrator. • Any other duties as called upon by the ENRM Platform Manager/ CRM Program Manager. 3.0 Qualifications, Experience and Essential Skills The minimum required academic and professional skills for the jobholder to perform successfully in their job: 3.1 Academic Qualifications • Master’s degree in Environmental studies, or Natural resources management, or Water resources management studies, or any related field of study relevant to the position. • Demonstrated interest in development work • Excellent written and oral communication skills • Excellent computer skills • Excellent public relations skills • Strong analytical and report writing skills. • Ability to work with minimum supervision. • Demonstrated ability to work as a team player in a multi-disciplinary team setting. 6.2 Professional Qualifications Post graduate qualification in Project/ program design, development and management is an added advantage 6.3 Experience At least four years’ relevant working experience in, conservation, community development, research or teaching in the environmental and natural resources management sector. An experience working in the NGO environment with a demonstrable experience in policy and legislative programming, granting, capacity development and M and E will be an added advantage. 6.4 Essential Skills • Broad knowledge of environment and natural resource management issues in Kenya including but not limited to catchment management for ecosystem services • Willingness to learn new approaches to conservation and natural resource management • Strong analytical and report writing skills as well as excellent presentation and facilitation skills • Self-driven and able to deliver results with minimum supervision Willingness to travel extensively within the region, work extended periods in the field and interact effectively with partners and willingness to learn new approaches • Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary and multicultural environment and with partners at all levels • Highly proficient in Ms Word, Excel, Access, Power-point and the use of Internet for research
How to apply:
If you meet the requirements as contained in the description, please submit (1) a detailed and current CV; (2) an application cover letter demonstrating why you qualify for this opportunity, quoting your current and expected gross salary. All applications should be submitted electronically to hr.admin@act.or.ke quoting the reference number (ACT/PO/ENRM/WRM/01/2014). Only candidates short-listed for interview will be contacted.